A Lebanese Critic of Syria Is Mourned

By HASSAN M. FATTAH

Published: June 5, 2005

Hundreds of mourners, including Arab journalists, Lebanese political leaders and several foreign ambassadors, turned out on Saturday for the funeral of Samir Kassir, the journalist killed when his car exploded here Thursday.

The funeral procession started at the offices of Mr. Kassir's newspaper, An Nahar, near Martyrs Square. His coffin, wrapped in a Lebanese flag, was carried the few blocks to a Greek Orthodox church across from the Parliament building for a funeral Mass, attended by his wife, Giselle Khoury, a talk-show host on Al Arabiya television, and his children.

The assassination of Mr. Kassir, who often used his column to rail against Syrian influence, came just months after that of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. That was a pivotal event that finally forced the ouster of Syria's forces after 29 years of occupation and ensured the rise of the opposition in continuing parliamentary elections.

Some of Mr. Kassir's mourners carried signs blaming Syria and those allied with it, including President ?ile Lahoud, for the killing. ''Samir's murder is yet another of Lahoud's surprises,'' one sign read.

Leaders of Lebanon's opposition reiterated calls for Mr. Lahoud's resignation on Saturday and plan a ''gathering'' in front of the Presidential Palace on Monday, in what is expected to be a major political confrontation.

Mr. Kassir, 45, was a founding member of the Democratic Left movement, and is credited with organizing street protests after the Hariri assassination that led to the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Omar Karami, and combined with international pressure, led to Syria's pullout in May.

He had recently taken aim at the Syrian government's internal dealings, and his criticism is believed to have disturbed many in Damascus.

In recent days, the United States has said that Syria has ceased cooperating on terrorism issues, and that it began a wave of arrests of political dissidents and tested a new generation of Scud missiles, while a major Kurdish leader was found dead in northern Syria.

''It's a pattern you can identify easily,'' said Chibli Mallat, a Lebanese lawyer and opposition leader.

Syria will open a landmark congress of the Baath Party on Monday that is expected to start numerous reforms to the nationalist-socialist party, including a purge of older party members.

It is unlikely that Mr. Lahoud will resign without a battle. Debate continues over whether his resignation would nullify the parliamentary elections. But legal experts said a resignation would put the current prime minister, Najib Mikati, squarely in control of the country until the new Parliament is sworn in on June 20.